Squirrel Rescue!

Ok. I need to preface this post by informing everyone (and by everyone I obviously mean the one person that follows me) that I am an extreme animal lover. I have a miniature zoo at my house. Seriously. 2 horses, 4 dogs, 2 birds, a cat and I feel it necessary to mention our recently deceased fat-tailed gecko louie. 


This being said- obviously you wouldn't be shocked to know I have managed to never hit an animal with my car. I will literally stop in the middle of the highway to save a turtle. I was often late to class in college because there was a duck pond in between me and advanced molecular biology. (ok so it was art therapy, we drew all day. don't judge me.) Anyway, i've been known to wait upwards of half an hour for a row of fuzzy baby ducks to safely maneuver their way across lindsey street.


Having spent hours of my driving career trying to avoid ending a tiny life, I tend to get a little emotional when I see an animal, all bloody and rigor mortis-like chillin' in the middle of the road. RIP raccoon, possum, north american grizzly. 


Now that I feel confident I have gotten my love for animals across, i'm hoping you might not think i'm crazy for the story i'm about to retell. The story of my heroic squirrel rescue. 




Prologue
One sunny fall day in Norman, I was driving home from class completely absorbed in my N'Sync CD and not really paying attention to anything but the sultry voice of a young, jheri curled Justin Timberlake. I was just about to bust out in the chorus of "bye bye bye" when I was forced to slam on the brakes when I saw the car in front of me, brakes squealing, run over a rogue squirrel. 

It wasn't one of those hits that just abolish the poor little squirrel body, smushing guts all over the road like a gusher. (loved those things when i was a kid.) It seemed like the little guy just bounced off the tire. Maybe he would be ok!
He wasn't. I watched as he collapsed on the concrete. But before I could finish sending up a silent prayer for his little squirrel soul, he was back on his feet and stumbling around like a drunk hobo on a sunday morning. 

Something had to be done. I couldn't just let the little fella lay there suffering in the road. His life couldn't end without knowing that someone cared. I decided to take him to the animal hospital. This called for professionals. I grabbed a towel from the trunk of my car and walked out in the road to scoop him up. I was slightly worried that this adorable creature with his fuzzy tail and pleading eyes would turn out to be a rabies-infested hell creature, but i had to help him. I placed him in the passenger seat and headed towards the vet. 

It seemed like it would be an easy enough transport. Squirrel was twitching a bit, but it wasn't parkinsons' style so I thought maybe I could get him to the vet without incident. But I was a fool. A damn fool. 


Somewhere along the way Squirrel came out of his shock and went insane. 

Damn you hell creature!


Still, I had a mission, and I wasn't going home without getting this guy to a Dr. 


I was ecstatic when i got him there safely. Well, safely for him anyway. I was so proud of myself and my good deed as I handed him over to the vets. They quickly shattered my hope with words like, "brain damage," and "internal bleeding." 

I was so crushed. I had become attached to Squirrel. I just wanted him to live! I was defeated. I think the vet tech saw it all over my face. She told me to wait while she went to talk to the vet again. She came out and told me they were giving the squirrel steroid injections to stop the swelling, and hopefully they would be able to save him then re-release him to the wild. 

Success!! 
Maybe she was lying. I choose to believe it was a miracle. Now everytime i see a squirrel I imagine its my little friend. Hi Squirrel. You're welcome.